A. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates generally to accommodations for safely providing for a special-needs rider. More specifically, the disclosure relates to such an accommodation for use on a carrying cart. Methods and uses of the accommodation are also provided.
B. Background
In the following discussion, certain documents or technologies may be described for background and introductory purposes. Nothing contained herein is to be construed as an “admission” of prior art. Applicant expressly reserves the right to demonstrate, where appropriate, that the articles and methods referenced herein do not constitute prior art under the applicable statutory provisions.
A significant fraction of the population is physically incapable of, or challenged in, safely walking on their own or maintaining sufficient balance or posture to remain safely in an upright sitting position. Various disorders and injuries can render a person challenged in their efforts to, or unable to walk at all or for sustained periods (examples being ataxia, hypotonia, Prader-Willi syndrome, spasticity, vertigo, muscular dystrophy, other neuromuscular disorders, fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia, brain injury, bone fractures, sprains, and seizure disorders). Other disorders can render a person unable to maintain an upright sitting position for a sustained period (examples being hypotonia, Prader-Willi syndrome, spasticity, muscular dystrophy, vertigo, brain injury, and seizure disorders). Some disorders challenge or prevent a person from safely navigating, even if able to walk for sustained periods of time, or require constant supervision (examples being mental impairment, Down's syndrome, fragile X syndrome, Rett syndrome, blindness, vertigo, and autism spectrum disorders). For the purposes of this disclosure, persons with such disorders or similar difficulties are referred to as having “special needs.” People with special needs typically benefit from the use of wheeled apparatus. The classic example of such a wheeled apparatus is a wheelchair.
Wheeled apparatus known in the art have several unresolved problems, particularly if the rider is not able to propel or direct the wheelchair without assistance from another person. The assistant cannot engage in other tasks while pushing and steering the chair, due to its mass and the need to pay careful attention to the wellbeing of the rider. This poses a particular problem if the assistant must manipulate another wheeled apparatus, such as a carrying cart. Carrying carts, such as shopping carts, luggage carts, hand trucks, and laundry carts, are widespread and indispensible in transporting heavy, numerous, or unwieldy objects for short distances. However, it is virtually impossible to push a carrying cart and a wheelchair at the same time.
Some carrying carts currently include chairs or other accommodation for small children. Such accommodations prevent mobile children from roving and allow children not yet able to walk to accompany a caretaker while shopping or otherwise moving items in the cart. However, such accommodations are not adequate for persons with special needs with an inability to sit upright when unsupported, In addition, a person with special needs may be of any age and any size, whereas cart chairs for children are designed only to support a small child with sufficient muscle tone to sit upright.
Consequently, there is a long-felt but unmet need in the art for an effective means to safely propel a special needs rider (potentially of any age and size) while simultaneously handling a carrying cart.